Week ahead: Markup for Senate cyber bill?

The Senate Intelligence Committee could mark up its main cybersecurity bill as early as the middle of next week, a significant step forward in a process that has been stalled for several weeks.

The measure, which has not yet been released in final form, would enhance information sharing on cyber threats between private companies and intelligence agencies.

{mosads}This priority is at the top of the cyber wish list for many industry groups, government officials and lawmakers, though the White House and some Democrats have expressed concerns about the legislation’s privacy provisions.

Producing a consensus bill and moving it through markup would put Intelligence Committee lawmakers on the path toward floor votes by the end of the month, though most sources with knowledge of the discussions expect it won’t come up until late April.

If a markup does not happen next week, several sources said it would definitely take place within the next two weeks.

The Senate is in session until the end of the month, when it breaks for a state work period between March 30 and April 10. The House is out next week and scheduled to be back on March 16 before starting another week of recess on March 30.

Sources said the House could take up the cyber bill within a month of Senate action.

The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee is also considering a cybersecurity information-sharing bill that has more Democratic and White House backing. There is no solid timeline for that measure, however.

Apart from a potential markup, the event slate for cybersecurity is largely empty next week on Capitol Hill. Policy wonks looking to get their fix should note the following private events around town.

On Monday, the International Spy Museum will hold a discussion on creative responses to what it called the digital privacy “crisis.”

Starting Tuesday, the Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association will hold a two-day conference on homeland security issues. The event will include a keynote address by Deputy Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, a roundtable of chief information officers from leading government agencies, and several panels on cybersecurity, infrastructure threats and the “Internet of Things.”

On Wednesday, the Brookings Institution will host a book discussion on The Future of Violence: Robots and Germs, Hackers and Drones.

Finally, on Thursday, the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation will host a panel of experts to discuss the debate over technological backdoors and what it means for consumers, the tech industry and law enforcement. The event is titled Crypto Wars 2.0: Has the United States Abandoned the Policy of “Secure by Design”?